“A vibrant take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, brought to life by the National Youth Theatre REP Company for an unforgettable night of comedy”
The NYT Rep Company have created an incredibly funny show, displaying the comedy of Twelfth Night, with great choreography and use of song throughout.
The set design, consisting of a simple black box stage and multiple pine trees hanging upside down from the ceiling, creates an eerie, almost immersive atmosphere, and the feeling of being outside in a mystical forest. It is visually exciting and inventive, and the set design only gets more exciting throughout the show as tinsel is added by the cast to create a sparkly wonderland. The lighting also contributes to the warm atmosphere, with twinkling fairy lights in the trees indicating scene changes. The costume design is equally gorgeous, with bright colours, exciting ruffs, and headpieces, it is the perfect mix of traditional Shakespearean and contemporary.
The cast work exceptionally well together as an ensemble, with the multi roling performers fantastically beginning the show with an engaging, unique piece of narration and bringing energy and comedy to the entire performance. The on stage band, made up of the cast, perform songs, that are used throughout the show with purpose, and beautifully fill the space with music, including ethereal ballads and upbeat party scenes.
Emily Casey plays Malvolio with such humour the entire audience is laughing. From uptight, serious Malvolio to cross-gartered, yellow stocking wearing Malvolio frolicking around the forest, Casey knows exactly how to find the comedy and embrace the contrasting sides of Malvolio’s character to create very funny scenes.
Alfie Wickham utitilises physical comedy as Andrew to ensure the audience laughs at all his scenes, and displays excellent chemistry with Selorm Adonu playing Toby, together causing chaos and confusion. Adonu is phenomenal as Toby, demonstrating energy, charisma, and comedy from the very first moment he is on stage. He is mesmerising to watch both in his delivery of lines and in his comedic commitment to the character. It is a fantastic portrayal of one of Shakespeare’s most humourous characters.
Cathy Sole as Viola and Daniel Regan as Sebastian bring emotion to the production as both grapple with the thought of having lost their sibling, whilst still maintaining the comedic delivery and direction seen throughout the show. Luc de Freitas playing Antonio also shows some particularly heartfelt interactions with Regan.
Laura Masters portrays the Lady Olivia with dedication and humour. She delivers a captivating performance, once again using physicality and exaggerated comedy to create hilarious moments.
Both David Olaniregun as Orsino and Freya Catherine Purdie as Maria excellently commit to their characters, with the former’s love for Olivia providing comedy and the latter’s scheming causing misunderstanding and chaos.
The fools, Tay and Fed, performed by Megan Keaveny and Dominic Semwanga, are particular standout performances with their beautiful singing and harmonies filling the space. They deliver their dialogue with rhythm and excitement, as if they know something the audience doesn’t, and each time they appear on stage this duo bring a fantastical, mysterious performance.
The NYT Theatre is a brilliant, 110 seat space with a lovely effort made to decorate the foyer and continue to vibe of the show throughout the interval. The front of house team is really helpful and it feels like a real community space that has created an amazing ensemble production.
NYT Rep Company have created an uplifting, comedic production of Twelfth Night with fantastic acting, choreography, costumes, set, and music throughout. A very enjoyable show!